It was interesting to read Jess Phillips MP on Isabel Hardman's book in the New Statesman. My interest is not so much in Hardman's new book Why we get the Wrong Politicians as in some of Phillips's own observations.
She does not regard herself as part of the "political elite" despite being a MP. If "political elite does not include MPs then who is in this (obviously extremely exclusive club). Would anyone admit their membership? There is a story about Nye Bevan being told political power resided in the District Council, only then to be told to go to the County Council, only then to be told to go to Parliament, only then to be told to the Cabinet. Sadly, he didn't reveal whether he found power once he really was in the Cabinet.
Another interesting point is that she believes that "A politician from a pit community or raised by a single parent is, pleasingly, no longer that uncommon." Actually, I think it used to be a lot more common. I think if she compares the 1945 PLP to now she would find a much wider range of backgrounds. If she is referring to regionalism, I suspect she would find the same thing.
The third thing I notice is that she doesn't mention the much wider ethnic and gender spread of today's Parliament compared to that of yesteryear, although I am sure she must be very aware of the huge effort required to achieve that.
Altogether an odd piece I thought.
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